Common equipment storage racks for rescue or fire trucks include vertical aluminum panels slidably mounted within a recess located in the side of a truck for movement between a retracted or stored position fully within the truck recess and an extended position substantially extended outward from the truck. When the panels are fully extended from the truck recess, the tools mounted on the panel can be accessed.
Frequently, the tool positions on the panel are fixed and cannot be changed, limiting the type and amount of equipment that can be stored on the panel. Further, typically two or more panels are slidably mounted side by side in the recess to accommodate all of the equipment required by the firemen. When the panels are in their retracted position, the equipment stored on the front panel is minimally visible and the equipment stored on panels behind the front panel are not visible. Further, if one panel is fully extended outward to give the firemen access to the tools mounted on the panel, it may block visual inspection of and access to the tools on the other panels. Taking inventory of the equipment to confirm that all required equipment is in the storage system requires that each panel be opened individually.
Another storage system used in fire trucks or rescue vehicles includes a number of aluminum mounting tracks that are secured within the interior of typically metal cabinets located in a recess in the side or back of a vehicle. Holes must be drilled in the cabinet to secure the tracks to the cabinet. The mounting tracks are designed to receive tool holders for supporting a variety of fire equipment.
The cabinet doors eliminate or reduce the ability of the firemen to see the equipment stored in the cabinet to confirm that all necessary equipment is mounted in the cabinet. Further, the doors limit the amount of air circulation within the cabinet. If some of the equipment is wet when mounted on the tool holders within the cabinet, the tools may not adequately dry out, leading to rust or decay.